Sismondo Castle and Fellini Museum, Rimini

Sismondo Castle, also called Malatestian Stronghold (Rocca Malatestiana), has undergone a substantial transformation. Once the fortress home of 14th century Lord Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, the dreaded "Wolf of Rimini," it has been, since 2020, a part of a fantasy museum dedicated to the genius of Rimini's own, Federico Fellini.

One day, young Federico ran away from home. He got as far as the Malatestian Stronghold. In front of the forbidding castle were a circus tent and carnival, a manifestation of his destiny to spend his life creating dreams and fantasies in film.

The Fellini Museum comes in three parts. Sismondo Castle is joined by the Valloni Palace, housing the Fulgor Cinema, used in the film Amarcord. The third part is the open spaces of Malatesta Square, now called the Square of Dreams (Piazza Dei Sogni). The square creates a passage of interactive visuals connecting the Fulgor and the Castle.

In the Renaissance Castel, museum-goers are immersed in Fellini's dreams and fantasies. One room is devoted to the Maestro's wife, Giulietta Masina, star of "La Strada" and "Nights of Cabiria." Interactive panels, memorabilia, reams of photos, clips of films, and the Director's library are accessible.

In the square, a large circular bench evokes the ring-around-the-Rosie scene from "8 1/2." An enormous fountain continuously sprays a fog-like mist often featured in his films. Some say the whole thing is over-the-top, but then, this is Fellini.